essential point of the guitar’s history (if a
tribute or obituary article); [2] Once selected,
an artist could not be chosen again (to give
more players a chance for recognition); [3]
Guitar Player
Anniversary

Career

2

4

We hope you enjoy this little jaunt down
memory lane—even if you plan to sling nasties at us for forgetting a hero or two (or
three). One thing is incontestable, however:
GP has covered an epic multitude of incredible guitar players since 1967. g

Our ﬁrst year, 1967, was not included, as,
believe it or not, we didn’t put any artists
on the four covers produced that year; [4]
We did include 2017, as we already know
the cover artists for the remaining months
of this year.

Obituary
or Tribute

2

Other

1

Lesson
Conceptual

20

21

Subject Matter

Gear

73

Throughout the past 50 years, showcasing major and up-and-coming artists has been our go-to
cover-design tactic. But putting the faces of famous guitar players on the cover isn’t the only way
to excite readers about the magazine, and, quite frankly, that approach would get boring if we
never varied the cover content. Here’s a survey of Guitar Player cover themes from our debut in
1967, right up to the issue you’re holding in your hands.
Artist